Binder assembly



June 23, 1970 T. R. SMITH BINDER ASSEMBLY Filed June 19, 1967 F G. 3 14 28b FIG.2

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INVENTOR. THOMAS R. SMITH FIG.|

United States Patent 3,516,755 BINDER ASSEMBLY Thomas R. Smith, 27A Brushy Hill Road, Newtown, Conn. 06470 Filed June 19, 1967, Ser. No. 647,013 Int. Cl. B42f 13/02, 3/00 US. Cl. 402-9 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A binder assembly for retaining index cards or the like therein and including a backing member and a pair of side members formed integral with the backing member and hinged with respect thereto, a support member interconnected to the side members and including a tension bar and strips joined thereto, the tension bar being foldable with respect to the strips to reduce the effective length of the support member and thereby vary the pivotal movement of the side members with respect to the backing member.

This invention relates to a new and improved binder assembly and more particularly to an improved system of protectively supporting a plurality of sheet members in side-by-side relationship.

According to the invention herein, a book-like binder is arranged to receive a number of index cards or the like having one or more apertures formed adjacent an edge thereof. The binder has a backing member and a pair of side members integral therewith, a pair of spaced openings formed in the side members adjacent the back-1 ing member. To support the index cards or the like, at least one strip of thin, elongate, flexible material is provided to extend from the openings in one side member to the opposite side member. The strip terminates at an anchor element which is contractible in order to be received through said openings but is thereafter expandable to engage the periphery of the last opening through which it is received to prevent its removal therefrom. A tensiorr bar is unitary with the opposite end of the afore-mentioned strip and is folded about the imaginary line of connection between said bar proximate to a first edge thereof and said strip towards the inside surface of the nearest side member. Folding of the tension bar proceeds as a second edge of the bar opposite the first edge thereof engages the strip and continues with the first edge being drawn along the inside surface of the side member again towards said strip at the very location whereat the strip passes through one of the spaced openings in the side member from the inside surface to the outside surface thereof. The tension bar is thereby moved into locking position. The dimensions of the strip and tension bar are predetermined so that the binder assembly will accommodate a given number of sheet members and will serve to support them in a snug, but quickly releasable manner.

With the tension bar in the locking position, it is possible to view the bound sheets adjacent the free edges thereof. For example, it may be desirable merely to locate a particular card or sheet and this can be quickly accomplished by scanning the indicia-bearing margins provide a new and improved binder assembly for support- 3,516,755 Patented June 23, 1970 ing a plurality of sheet members in side-by-side relationship.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved binder assembly for firmly supporting a plurality of sheet members in book-like fashion while permitting freedom to thoroughly view and even remove or insert individual sheets rapidly and with ease.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved binder assembly which consists of a minimum of material and which is easily and inexpensively manufactured.

Other and further objects and advantages will be obvious or will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the binder assembly comprising the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cover for the binder assembly showing the side members coplanar with the backing member;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the support means which coact with the cover to bind together a plurality of information sheets or cards;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the invention in elevation;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a typical perforated index card or sheet adapted for use with the invention;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation view illustrating the binder assembly in the semi-open condition; and

FIG. 7 is an end elevation view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the binder assembly in the fully open condition.

Turn now to the drawings wherein like numbers pertain to like parts throughout, and especially to FIG. 1 which illustrates generally at 10 the binder assembly comprising the invention herein. The binder assembly 10 includes a cover 12 and a support element 14 which cooperates with the cover 12 to retain a plurality of sheets 16 which may be cards or the like capable of receiving information thereon in a convenient fashion for quick reference.

The cover 12 may be relatively stiff or non-deformable material suitably formed with score lines 18 which permit side members 20 to fold in the manner of a book relative to a backing member 22. One or more pairs of spaced apart openings 24 and 26 are formed in the side members 20 proximate to the score lines 18. Alternatively, it will be understood that cover 12 may be of a single expanse of relatively flexible material such that score lines 18 are not even required. In such an instance, however, the cover 12 is still deemed to have a backing member 22 and side members 20, even though no exact line of demarcation could be referenced as separating one zone from the other.

The support element 14 (see especially FIG. 3) is a unitary U-shaped structure which includes a tension bar or bight portion 28 and a pair of strips or legs 30 extending therefrom composed of thin, elongate, flexible material. It will be understood, however, that the support element 14 may be of a suitable construction wherein only one strip 30 extends from the tension bar 28. A preferable method of manufacture might be to stamp the strips 30 and tension bar 28 from a single sheet of the flexible material. The strips 30 terminate in broadened anchors 32 which may be scored along lines indicated at 34.

From FIG. 4 particularly, it is evident in what manner the strips 30 are applied to the cover 12. With tension bar 28 located adjacent the inside surface of one side member 20, each strip 30 passes through an opening 26 but is returned through an opening 24. From the open ing 24 in one side member 20, the strip 30 extends to the opposite side member 20 and through the mating openings 24 and 26 in a similar manner. To pass through said openings, it is necessary to fold the flukes 32a of.

the anchors 32 about the score lines 34. However, when the anchors have been received through the last opening, namely 26, the flukes 32a are flattened to engage the periphery of said opening to prevent withdrawal of the strip therefrom.

The sheets 16 which are to be bound by the invention are generally of the size of side members 20 and are provided themselves with openings 36 proximate to their bottom edges. The sheets 16 are also preferably formed with a narrow slit 38 connecting the openings 36 to the bottom edges thereof for ease of application to the strips 30. When the optimum number of sheets 16 have been mounted on the strips 30, the tension bar 28 is folded toward its neighboring side member 20 about imaginary lines of connection 40 between said bar and said strips 30 adjacent one edge 28a of the bar. The lines 40 may be score lines, if desired. A fold line 41 is also formed in the strips 30 intermediate the ends thereof and provides for further folding of the tension bar 40 as indicated in FIG. 4. Folding of the tension bar 28 brings the opposite edge 28b thereof into engagement with the strip 30 and this procedure continues with the first edge 28a being drawn along the inside surface of the side member 20 again towards said strip. The dimensions of the elements comprising the invention are predetermined so that the edge 28a is moved into locking position whereat it snugly engages the strip 30 just at that location whereat said strip enters the opening 26 (see especially FIG. 4) and the tension bar 28 is therefore restrained against further movement by both strips 30 and side member 20. T o accurately locate the strips 30 as they are engaged by the edges of the tension bar 28, and to prevent their lateral movement thereon, the edges 28a and 28b are desirably provided with the recessed portions 42 and 44.

The strips 30 extending between the side members 20 are thereby drawn tight as a result of the tension imparted thereto and in turn serve to draw the side members 20 to an orientation substantially perpendicular to the backing member 18 and parallel to and bearing against the sheets 16 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). This represents the fully closed condition of the binder assembly 10. With the tension bar 28 in its locked position and the binder assembly in the full closed condition, it is yet possible to read titles from the margins of the sheets 16 adjacent their free edges and perhaps even some data located beneath the title area by spreading apart the free edges. However, for a complete reading of the individual sheets 16, it is desirable to unlock the tension bar 28, reversing the procedure described heretofore for locking the tension bar. Thus, the tension bar 28 is unfolded one-half turn from its disposition illustrated in FIG. 4, to allow the binder assembly 10 to assume the semi-open condition illustrated in FIG. 6. For yet easier reading of the sheets 16 or even for their removal from or insertion into the binder assembly, the tension bar 28 is unfolded one full turn from its disposition illustrated in FIG. 6 so that it is no longer folded about the lines 40 but lies flat relative to the strips 30. This allows the binder assembly 10 to assume the fully open condition illustrated in FIG. 7.

The binder assembly which has just been disclosed provides a compact unit for filing or supporting in a prearranged manner a plurality of sheets in book-like form. Although the sheets 16 are securely mounted therein, the invention permits their rapid removal and replacement. A primary advantage of the invention resides in its simplicity of construction, requiring but two individual elements for its effective operation.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a binder assembly for a plurality of sheets having spaced openings formed therein adjacent an edge thereof, a cover in which the sheets are pivotally mounted, said cover being defined by a backing member the inside surface of which is relatively flat and spaced side members that are integrally joined to said backing member along a fold line in hinging relation, said backing member being located intermediate said side members, and said side members being substantially similar in dimension to each other and defining exterior covers for said sheets as contained therebetween, the inner edges of said sheets engaging the inside surface of said backing member, wherein said sheets are located in stacked relation and are generally parallel to said side members when the cover is located in the fully closed position thereof, the width of said backing member defining substantially the thickest part of said binder assembly when it is located in the fully closed position, pairs of spaced openings formed in said side members, and a support member for locating said sheets in said cover in hinging relation, said support member including a tension bar and spaced, elongated strips joined to said tension bar and extending in a direction generally transverse thereto, said strips projecting through the spaced openings formed in said side members for locating said tension bar on the inside surface of one of said side members, said strips extending across said backing member to bridge the space between said side members and projecting through openings formed in said sheets for locating said sheets in hinging relation between said side members, the length of said strips being at least as great as the spacing between said openings in said side members when said side members and backing member are located in coplanar relation in the fully open position, and anchor means formed on the free ends of said strips and extending through the spaced openings in the other of said side members for locking said sheets in the assembly between said side members, said tension bar being foldable relative to said strips to reduce the effective dimension of said strips, wherein said side members are movable from the fully open position to a substantially upright closed position, and in the closed posiltjion are substantially perpendicular to said backing mem- 2. In a binder assembly as set forth in claim 1, a first fold line being formed in said strips adjacent to the connection thereof to said tension bar, and a second fold line being formed in said strips, spaced from said first fold line and intermediate the free ends thereof and the connection to said tension bar, said tension bar being foldable along said first fold line to locate said side members in an intermediate open inclined position with respect to said backing member, and being foldable along said second fold line to locate said side members in the closed position, wherein said backing members are substantially parallel to said backing member.

3. In a binder assembly as set forth in claim 1, said anchor means including outwardly projecting portions that are foldable relative to the strips to Which they are joined to permit entry thereof through the openings in said other side member, said outwardly projecting portions expanding upon release from the foldable position to lock said strips to said other side member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,271,228 7/1918 Rubin 129-41 1,653,392 12/ 1927 Cottrell 129-41 1,909,808 5/ 1933 Buxton 12941 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,214,920 11/1959 France.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner 

